Music, movie, TV industries launch Copyright Alert System

The entertainment industry has launched the first ever Copyright Alert System Monday (Feb 25th) following a decade long battle with online piracy. The industry has teamed up with internet service providers (ISPs) throughout the country to combat online piracy. The new alert system will allow the music, movie and TV industries along with cable providers to act much more swiftly and warn users as soon as the day after illegal content has been obtained.

The alert system does not warn users who visit a pirated website. It only works when illegal content has been accessed or downloaded. The internet service provider will send out an alert to a user’s computer once they have been notified that illegal activity has occurred. The Hollywood Reporter reports that once users get five or six alerts, they will be directed to a landing page that will advise them to contact their ISP or respond to educational material. If repeat offenders fail to respond to the warnings, they could get slower internet connections or other sanctions, which have yet to be identified.

“The Copyright Alert System will be a significant test of whether a voluntary copyright-enforcement system can work while at the same time protecting the rights of Internet users,” states Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn. “The creators of the system have taken steps to build in consumer protections and fair process to the system, and it is my hope that it will succeed.”

“The Copyright Alert System will be a significant test of whether a voluntary copyright-enforcement system can work while at the same time protecting the rights of Internet users.”

Content owners have to present evidence that a user downloaded content illegally though. All digital files have numbers and that is one way providers will notice their content was wrongfully obtained. YouTube files have unique IDs, therefore, if a copyright holder notices that a video was downloaded, they can file a claim with the user’s ISP.

Repeat offenders have the option to request an independent review, which could save them their internet connection. However, this will cost the user $35 per review. The industry isn’t ruling out legal action, should they need to, but they think this will help redirect users away from obtaining illegal content and using legal sources for their music, movies and TV shows.

The Copyright Alert System was created by the Center for Copyright Information that includes the six major TV and movie studios, record labels including Warner and EMI, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA) and internet providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner among others.

Author: Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites.